Most Estonians oppose the Euro

TALLINN. April 1 (Interfax) - Opponents to the introduction of the euro in Estonia outnumber its supporters, according to a state-sponsored poll.

About 40% of respondents support a transition to the euro, while 50% are against it, according to the poll, which was conducted by the EMOR public research company under a contract with the state chancellery.

Men, ethnic Estonians under 51, and people with high incomes account for the majority of supporters. They assume that the transition would make it easier to travel to other EU countries.

Euroskeptics worry that the transition will trigger price hikes.

At the same time, the poll showed that most supporters and opponents - 68% of all respondents - support Estonia's membership in the EU.

Earlier the Estonian government said transition to the euro starting from January 1, 2007 was a priority. However, the European Commission considers this unlikely because Estonia is not complying with inflation criteria now.